The quality of political dialogue in The Bahamas and The Turks and Caicos Islands – both inside and outside parliament, continues to decline.
This view of Anglican Bishop, Laish Boyd was expressed on Monday night in his charge to the opening of the 115th session of Synod at Christ Church Cathedral.
He reminded Anglicans that politicians are role models and their behavior is not just their own business, adding that politics at its best is not meant to be only about partisan agenda, but more so to be about the good of the entire state.
Bishop Boyd called on politicians in The Bahamas and The Turks and Caicos Islands to remember this and to focus on national advancement rather than scoring partisan “brownie points.”
He said both countries should stick to their overall national plans, building one country and not a land of two or three partisan interest groups.
Touching on immigration in The Bahamas, the Anglican bishop, called on the government to move toward the establishment of a citizenship commission or some other means of establishing clear procedures that will achieve the regularization of persons who have unsettled immigration status, that is, once they meet certain criteria.
He added that this commission must be promoted and policed.
He also stressed the need for machinery that responds to and processes requests in a timely and professional manner, as processes are still too long.
Bishop Boyd also called upon the government to have a transparent discussion on the issue of natural resources in the country.
He also addressed issues like climate change, financial strain, tourism, the economy, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, law enforcement, dead beat dads and crime.
In his conclusion, he said that this world needs the message and love of God more than ever, and those who call themselves Christians need to live for God and show the love of God more than ever.
